HTC debuts dubiously-named Windows Phone 8X and 8S smartphones

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HTC introduced its first phones based on the Windows Phone 8 platform Wednesday, with straightforward names: the Windows Phone 8X and 8S.

Like Nokia before it, HTC seems content on attracting users to the Windows Phone platform using bold colors and a thin, tapered shape. The 8X is available in purple, red, black, and a neon lime green, while the 8S is available in a a slightly more subued blue/black, white/black, neon lime green/gray, and red/red color combinations.

Looking at the device itself, they both look much like the recently introduced Nokia Lumia 920. If you look closely, however, the HTC devices are much more tapered and the curves more pronounced. Will the looks sell the phone? That remains to be seen.

Both the 8X and 8S are available starting in November, following the official Windows Phone 8 launch at the end of October, and will be available on about 150 carriers in over 50 countries. In the United States, this will include AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless; in Europe Orange, O2 Telefonica, MTS, Three UK, T-Mobile, and Vodafone; and in the Asia-Pacific region Chunghwa Telecom, Optus, Singtel, Smartone, Telstra and Vodafone Australia. Pricing will likely vary based on carrier, and was not announced by HTC at its event Wednesday in New York City.

As far as specs go, don’t expect to be blown away: it really seems that the design of these phones are intended to be the chief draw. The 8X sports a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 screen capable of 720p HD, while the 8S uses a smaller 4-inch Super LCD screen. Both sport Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, the 8X running at 1.5GHz and the 8S at 1GHz. Both will include 16GB of on-board storage, with the capability to expand storage through an included micro SD slot.

The 8X will also have 4G LTE in the United States, putting it on par with other modern smartphones in its category. What HTC plans to support in the 8S was not immediately available, but its fair to guess that phone will likely support LTE as well given that LTE networks worldwide are beginning to mature.

Of course, both the 8X and 8S will feature Beats Audio, which the company had already been placing on its Android phones for some time. Whether that’s a selling point is questionable: I’ve seen mixed reviews on the sound quality, and I know from experience with the headphones that it seems you’re paying more for the name than quality.

What is most interesting here is the naming of the device. By incorporating Windows Phone 8 into the name of the device itself, it almost gives the impression that the device is somehow the “Microsoft Phone,” even though it’s not. Yes, CEO Steve Ballmer was up on stage in New York today hawking HTC’s phones. No, the company is nothing more than a partner, at least as far as I can tell.

Regardless, the impression consumers will get is definitely good for HTC. I’m sure you won’t hear Microsoft complaining either, considering the amount of ground it needs to make up to be competitive with Android and iOS.

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